Phuket first to get 4G outside Bangkok

Dtac has already upgraded its mobile network in Phuket to provide 4G high speed mobile services, the first place outside of Bangkok to officially have access to the latest mobile technology.

Dtac is also offering 1 GByte of downloads free each month for four months, to encourage people to make the move. According to DTAC, there are approximately 10% of mobile phones in Phuket which can already use the newer technology, known as 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution), which can theoretically offer download rates of several hundred Mbps, much higher than today’s 3G networks.

Panya Vechbanyongratana, Dtac Senior Vice President, Regional Business Head – South & West, commented that Dtac selected Phuket because there are lots of tourists and users, before going on to say that the service will subsequently be introduced in other regions.

Apparently, the free deal of 4 GB over four months has some limitations, in that if the user exceeds that amount they will drop back onto the slower 3G service.

“Existing subscribers can come to a Dtac centre before February 28 to register for the free 4G service and to get their sim card changed.” he said.

Can I use 4G on my mobile?

Unfortunately, not everyone can use 4G. It requires a suitable smartphone or tablet that supports LTE, and you may even need to swap out your SIM card for a newer one, as well as registering with Dtac. However, if you’re in Phuket or planning to visit, you can try it for free and get setup at any Dtac service centre. Furthermore, people on competing networks such as AIS and True can port their current number to Dtac and get 4G that way.

The majority of flagship smartphones these days (such as the iPhone 6, Galaxy S5 and many others) do support 4G in one form or another, but be aware that there are also newer enhancements to LTE called LTE-A which provides even greater speeds, but isn’t yet supported on every phone.

Each mobile network that implements 4G uses specific network frequencies, but Dtac says its service is superior as it’s the only company to use 1,800 MHz, 850 MHz and 2,100 MHz frequencies, which according to the Dtac website“ultimately makes Dtac the network with the widest bandwidth, providing better and more effective communication, clearer voice calls, smooth and uninterrupted service for high-definition video streaming and multiplayer gaming”.